Charles Edward Perugini 1839-1918

STRUCTURE: Relined. SURFACE: Appears to be stable and dirty although there are areas of fine shrinkage - these include in and around the model's face and areas on her hands and dress. Small loss of paint appear on her left arm by her elbow and in the water by her right arm. UV LIGHT: Under UV sweeping restorations appear around in the sky. Retouchings appear in her hair and face, shoulders, and on a book. A few minor spots appear elsewhere. FRAME: Contained in a modern plaster moulded gilt frame (damaged). COLOUR COMPARISON: The colour appears more yellow in the original and dirty than the catalogue illustration suggests.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This elegant three-quarter length portrait shows an unidentified woman dressed fashionably and in a style that suggests a date for the painting of sometime in the 1880s. Carlo (later anglicised to Charles) Perugini was born in Naples in 1839. He met Leighton in Rome in the early 1850s, and may have served as a model for the painting Cimabue's Madonna (Royal Collection), upon which Leighton was then working. In the later 1850s Perugini trained under Ary Scheffer in Paris. He then transferred to London in 1863, commencing as an exhibitor at the Royal Academy that same year.

Perugini's style of painting, which is softly naturalistic and fluently handled, and in which is found a particular feeling for the textures of skin and cloth, owes much to the example of Leighton. Like his mentor, Perugini succeeds in making his compositions harmonious and elegantly unified, and introduces a living quality to what he paints by their freshness of texture and glowing animation. In the present work Perugini shows himself adept at the representation of landscape, with a lovely distant view of sea and coast forming the background to the portrait. The artist would certainly have known Leighton's own landscape sketches, with their remarkable feeling for the quality and direction of light. Here, the impressionistic freshness of the natural setting makes a delightful contrast to the elegance and sophistication of the model, as evidenced by the elaborate style of her dress and the composure of her demeanour.

Perugini's portraits of young women are often supposed to represent his wife Kate, the daughter of Charles Dickens who was also a painter. She had previously been married to the artist Charles Allston Collins but had been widowed in 1873. It may be suggested that the work was commissioned as a marriage portrait. The model wears a rosebud at her bosom, which may be seen as a symbol of her youthful and unfolding beauty, while her wedding-ring is visible on her left hand. The connection with Dickens is possibly referred to by the open book the sitter is holding in her right hand.